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State of North Carolina

Living in North Carolina puts you in prime adventure territory. Residents here enjoy 300 miles of pristine beaches and some of the country’s most beautiful old-growth hardwood forests and mountain tops. Asheville, Greensboro and Raleigh are among the best places to live in North Carolina, a state experiencing continual economic growth. Home to Pinehurst, one of the country’s most beloved golf courses, Seagrove, the handmade-pottery capital of the U.S., and Biltmore, America’s largest home, North Carolina has a strong tourism industry.

Asheville, North Carolina

Smithfield, North Carolina

Wilkesboro, North Carolina

The best kids' activities in Greensboro, N.C., are entertaining and affordable. The city offers a range of things to do that include learning about regional history to sliding down massive water slides on a hot summer day. Here are the top attractions for kids in Greensboro:
Greensboro Science Center has an aquarium, zoo and museum, all in one place.
1. Greensboro Science Center
An aquarium, museum and zoo – all in one place. What more could a kid ask for? This is what families will find at the Greensboro Science Center, home to Carolina SciQuarium, the state's only inland aquarium. Visitors can also explore 12 acres of animal exhibits that feature tigers, meerkats, crocodiles, and more. At the museum, they'll find a roaring 36-foot tall T-Rex and have fun learning through hands-on activities. This TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence recipient has activities for kids of all ages and offers summer camps and tree-swinging adventures.
The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a minor league baseball team.
2. Greensboro Grasshoppers
Take the kids to a ballgame, and watch the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a minor league baseball team. Home to the Grasshoppers, the NewBridge Bank Park seats more than 8,000 fans, who according to Yelp reviewers, enjoy regular deals, fun and a well-maintained ballpark. The PawSox Kid's Corner offers kids things to do like running bases, scout sleepovers at the field, free youth clinics and Friday night events.
The Greensboro Children's Museum is great for kids under 8 years of age, but anyone under 12 will have a blast.
3. Greensboro Children's Museum
Another affordable option for families is Greensboro Children's Museum, a 37,000-square-foot playland that houses more than 20 permanent exhibits. Parents on TripAdvisor praise the museum as a great place for small children, especially under 8 years old. At the museum, kids can run their own pizzeria, dress up and put on a performance, and climb inside trucks, planes and trains.
Greensboro Historical Museum is a great place for kids and adults, and offers activities for all ages.
4. Greensboro Historical Museum
Greensboro's rich history is best displayed at the Greensboro Historical Museum, where parents and kids can learn together. Gate City shows what Greensboro looked like in the early 1900s, and kids can become a telephone operator, measure prescriptions at the drug store, and write on a school slate, among other activities. Admission is free, and reviewers are pleasantly surprised at how long they spent there – many suggest spending half a day learning everything there is to know about Greensboro.
5. Wet N' Wild Emerald Pointe
The largest waterpark in both the Carolinas, Wet N' Wild has 36 rides and attractions. Fun for all ages, even grown ups, small children will have fun splashing around in Happy Harbor with two pools and Splash Island, with a kid-size wave pool and several slides and places to play. Older children can cool off in large pools and ride tons of water rides. The park has recently opened for its 30th season, and in 2013, was named a 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Award for 10 Best Water Parks in America, by The USA Today Travel Media Group.

The political nexus of North Carolina, Raleigh is rapidly morphing into a cosmopolitan cultural center. The city's collection of historical buildings mixes well with a fast forward art and music scene. Whether you're visiting or deciding to live in Raleigh, there are some cultural experiences you won't want to miss. Get your calendars ready because you'll want to mark down when these events take place. Here are eight of the city’s top events:
IBMA's Wide Open Bluegrass
When: October
Now the largest bluegrass festival in the country, the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual Wide Open Bluegrass is an annual homecoming for the bluegrass music community. With 50 bands strumming and picking on five stages, a dance tent and perpetual jam sessions, the event also includes the North Carolina Whole Hog State Barbecue Championship.
North Carolina State Fair
When: October
Nearly 1 million people attend this 11-day event, with many families coming for generations. In addition to the traditional agricultural livestock shows and gardening competitions, the fair is famous for food vendors who invent a different deep fried creation every year. This year’s entertainment includes a new Homegrown North Carolina Concert Series in the arena.
BugFest
When: September
Believe it or not, each year 35,000 people buzz in for this free event at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences featuring entomologists and exhibits about the fascinating world of bugs. There’s even a Café Insecta where those who dare can taste dishes concocted with creepy crawlers by local chefs. Last year’s featured insect: the stinkbug.
Hopscotch Music Festival
When: September
Launched in 2010, this experimental underground festival in downtown Raleigh packs 170 bands into three days of unexpected lineups on a large outdoor stage as well as in small clubs. Fans love it because every music genre from rock, hip hop, metal and folk to electronic is represented.
SPARKcon
When: September
This eclectic extravaganza held in downtown Raleigh is billed as a four-day creative explosion of art, music, film, fashion, geek, circus, dance, comedy, design, food and more. Produced by the nonprofit creativity incubator Visual Art Exchange, SPARKcon highlights the diversity of artistic vision in the Triangle area.
Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival
When: August
Held in the town of Cary just outside Raleigh, this event has become one of the largest single-day juried arts festivals in the country. Notable features include a chainsaw sculpting contest.
Artsplosure
When: May
Staged in Raleigh’s City Market, the two-day Artsplosure celebrates the arrival of spring by encouraging visitors to explore the talented works of underrepresented local artist and performances. In addition to an art market showcasing 170 visual arts and crafts exhibitors, the festival presents a Student Art Exhibition and performances by established and rising jazz, blues and alternative music stars, as well as emerging local musicians.
Krispy Kreme Challenge
When: February
The challenge: 2400 calories, 12 doughnuts, 5 miles, 1 hour. What began as a crazy challenge between 10 college pals is now a nationally recognized charity race and also the number one tradition to complete before obtaining a sheepskin from North Carolina University. Runners begin at Memorial Belltower on campus and run 2.5 miles through historic downtown Raleigh to a Krispy Kreme shop, where they try to devour a dozen of the company’s famed original glazed doughnuts before the return slog. Monies raised are a sweet treat for local children’s charities.

With four professional sports teams and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte, N.C., has a big appetite for burgers. Given that many residents are transplants from around the country, it’s only natural that Charlotte’s burger scene sports a diversity of toppings and seasonings that cater to every regional palate. Burger haunts also run the gamut, from uptown cool to total dives dating to the city’s heyday of dirt track fiends. Motorsports in Charlotte help drive the economy, but burger restaurants provide plenty of fuel. Here are six of the most awesome burgers in the Queen City:
The Liberty
Charlotte’s first true gastropub, The Liberty draws repeat crowds for its Painted Hills Natural “Crunch” Burger, a red meat wonder topped in pimento cheese, smoked bacon, lettuce and tomato, and then stacked to max with house chips. The Irish Black Angus Pub Burger is another house favorite. This one is so good you might consider moving to Charlotte just to be near it.
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar
A continual local winner for best burger, the most popular, and so-bad-it’s-good item here is the monstrous Bacon Cheeseburger on Steroids seasoned in bacon salt and topped with three pieces of jalapeno bacon, another three strips of applewood bacon, one thick slab of Monterey Jack cheese, crispy fried onions and house made bacon mayo.
Cowbell Burger and Whiskey Bar
This uptown retro hangout has it all – inventive burgers, music and a dynamite adult beverage selection, including “spiked” milkshakes. Patrons especially love their GFY Burger dressed to kill in foie gras, arugula, prosciutto, apricot marmalade and creole mustard, accompanied by a side of Disco Fries dripping in brown gravy.
Bang Bang Burgers
Winner of Best Burger at the 2015 Brew and Moo Contest held by Creative Loafing, Charlotte’s alternative entertainment weekly, Bang Bang Burgers sells a ton of their Hangover, a hefty “hair of the dog” patty topped with cheddar, fried egg, grilled onions, potato bacon hash and tangy Bang Bang sauce. During this year’s Final Four, hoops fans went crazy for the Blue Devil burger featuring bleu cheese and deviled egg filling topped with crispy grilled egg white garnished in green onions and paprika.
Pinky’s Westside Grill
This funky dive on West Morehead Street is easily spotted because of the vintage VW Beetle on its roof, a hangover from the lot’s days as 3G Automotive. Patrons go for the Mexi-Burger slathered in black beans and sour cream or White Trash Burger done up with with provolone, fried pickles and onion rings, plus a heaping side of 12 hush puppies. All burgers also come Ding Dong style with crunchy peanut butter, honey-cilantro slaw and hot sriracha sauce. Food Network’s Guy Fieri and Nascar Driver Clint Bowyer recently visited to film Pinky’s for an upcoming episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Block & Grinder
The meat’s the thing at this farm-to-fork premium Butcher house. Their signature B&G Butcher House burger is ground in-house daily and cooked to perfection. The choice of toppings includes the latest burger maven craving – roasted bone marrow, along with shitake mushrooms and a local farm fried duck egg. Burger devotees can also try other creature burgers, including a Cajun bison burger, lamb burger and wild game burger of the day.

Why is Asheville, NC one of the best places to live in America? One consistent truth for the cities atop Livability’s Top 100 Best Places to Live is that there is no one answer to that question. For some, it’s the moderate climate. For others, it’s the arts and crafts in the ever-expanding River Arts District that has long been a draw for visitors and residents alike. For others, it’s the family-friendly atmosphere.
Increasingly, however, the answer is that it’s a great place to live because it’s a great place to eat and drink. In addition to being a two-time honoree on our overall Top 100 Best Places to Live, it also made two of our Top 10 Foodie Cities lists.
“We’re a major foodie city, so you have to go out some place great to eat, which isn’t hard to find,” says Mayor Esther Manheimer, “but it might be hard to get a reservation.”
Even just 20 or 30 years ago Asheville didn’t see as much investment and “revitalization” as other parts of the state, which turned out to be a good thing. Its population didn’t explode during a time when tearing down and building new was fashionable. Instead its renaissance came during a time of historic preservation and reuse. That means that while the city now is home to a thriving restaurant and brewery scene, it all takes place along streets lined with historic buildings.
Asheville isn’t a big place. Its 90,000 residents and 9 million annual visitors can walk across the downtown in an afternoon, stopping to shop or grab a snack along the way. The Blue Ridge Mountains offer hiking and biking opportunities for the active outdoorsy types and a rolling scenic byway for those who like to take in their nature from behind a windshield. The fall foliage is spectacular enough to have landed Asheville on our Best Places for Fall Foliage ranking, too.
Residents have access to a solid public school system (Great Schools give it an overall 8 out of 10) and traditional health-care options at the Mission Health Systems. However, many residents choose from the array of alternative healing options, such as meditation and yoga at the Asheville Salt Cave.
Despite its popularity and rapid growth, housing remains affordable for most in Asheville with a median home price of less than $200,000. New development is an ongoing concern in town, but the city is doing its best to address the need for new housing with the desire to keep the city livable.
“We’re not creating land-locked sprawl situations,” says Mayor Manheimer. “We want things to be integrated, so people can get out, move around, and interact in their community in meaningful way and a healthy way.”

Just a few years ago, the dining scene in Raleigh was described as “burgeoning” by foodies. Today, that scene is growing even stronger with Raleigh restaurants serving dishes for every taste and budget – from contemporary Southern foods and burgers to authentic international cuisine and vinegar-based North Carolina barbecue that draws diners from near and far.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of four of the best places to eat in Raleigh that run the gamut of high-end and more casual, but beloved, local favorites.
Courtesy of Saint Jaques
1) Saint Jacques
Diners seeking authentic French cuisine come to Saint Jacques from as far away as New York City and Washington D.C. The restaurant, which is a popular place for diners marking special occasions, is owned by Lil Lacassagne, a native of the South of France, who has worked in some of the finest restaurants in the world, and his wife, Lori. Located in a nondescript shopping plaza, Saint Jacques’ theme: “The South of France is now only minutes away” is evident as guests enter from Falls of Neuse Road.
“We wanted to offer the best food you can find using amazing ingredients, while at the same time, we wanted our service to be friendly so our guests are comfortable,” says Lil Lacassagne.
Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern in Raleigh, NC is a very popular spot for weddings.Courtesy of Second Empire Restaurant
2) Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern
Visitors stepping into Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern get a taste of modern fine dining in an 1879 dwelling. Second Empire exudes history and ambiance – from the graceful covered porch, to the dining rooms with deep bay windows and 14-foot ceilings to the cozy tavern in the brick cellar. The restaurant, which has won the AAA Four-Diamond Award, is a popular place for diners, and those attending parties, weddings and other special occasions.
“Many people coming here are interested in history, and our staff is well-versed in the history of the home,” says Marilynn Akers, Second Empire events coordinator.
Courtesy of Clyde Cooper's Barbecue
3) Clyde Cooper’s Barbecue
Clyde Cooper’s has been an institution in downtown Raleigh since it opened in 1938. Today, it still serves slow-cooked Carolina-style barbecue using top lean pork shoulders and hams, and briskets and ribs have been added.
After many decades in its original location, Clyde Cooper’s in 2014 moved to nearby 327 S. Wilmington St., but maintains its original charm – including the same booths and tables, now refinished, and the original awning now hangs inside the restaurant.
“Barbecue is an old pastime in North Carolina, and people come to Clyde’s from around the world,” says Ashley Holt, whose family now owns the restaurant. “Visitors tell us, ‘We have to stop in because y’all have the best sauce.'”
The Captain Andy's Paleo Burger Platter at Chuck's. Courtesy of Chuck's
4) Chuck’s
Chuck’s, also on South Wilmington Street, has carved a name for itself with gourmet burgers and tins of Belgian hand-cut fries served with dipping sauces. The restaurant’s “Dirty South (Carolina) Burger” features ingredients such as a smoked pork shoulder, Anson Mills Sea Island red pea chili and roasted tomato malt vinegar slaw. Milkshake selections include a Dark Chocolate Cake, a Salty Peanut Butter with Roasted Banana and a Madagascar Malted, as well as new shake flavors offered each week.
“We have guests who pop in each week to get the new shakes,” says Ashley Noonan, manager of Chuck’s.

Asheville has a well-earned reputation for many things, from craft beer and a hopping culinary scene to its rich history and gorgeous natural setting. But perhaps less well known, though equally brag worthy, is the area’s commitment to taking care of its citizens.
Measuring volunteerism and charitable giving, in 2014 the financial website NerdWallet rated Asheville 10th on its list of most generous cities, noting that Asheville residents donated a median 6.4 percent of their income to charity, and that 32.3 percent of Ashevillians volunteered.
“That’s an astounding figure for a city this size,” says Elisabeth Bocklet, director of marketing and communications for United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County. “This is a caring community, and you can see it in big and small ways."
Any way you slice it, the giving looks good. Volunteers donated a median of 37.8 hours per year. Through United Way’s Hands On Asheville-Buncombe volunteer center alone, 3,000 people gave more than 22,000 hours of volunteer time in 2013.
Asheville’s Tradition of Caring
Bocklet attributes Asheville’s generosity to two main factors: a tradition of people taking care of their own and something special about the city’s culture.
“A lot of people come here wanting to connect with one another in a meaningful way,” she says. “Both are equally important, and that combination is very much in play.”
In addition to individual giving, Asheville businesses do their part. The accounting firm Johnson Price Sprinkle, for example, supports Habitat for Humanity, contributing 1,150 volunteer hours from nearly all its employees. The company also supports the UNCA Family Business Forum and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Laura Webb, founder and president of Webb Investment Services, serves on the boards of Friends of the Smokies – her great-grandfather was instrumental in establishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the Asheville Chamber and more.
Ashevillian Drue Ray and her husband, Allen Ray, created a business from their passion for helping physically and mentally challenged people live outside institutions. Their SimplyHome business, now a national brand, designs custom systems that help people live safely and comfortably in their own homes.
“Independence really allows challenged individuals to experience life,” Ray says. “Things like ‘What time of day do I want to get up? What time do I want to eat?’ The simple things make life very, very full, and are so appreciated.”
Businesses Give to United Way
United Way has benefited from a variety of giving campaigns. Eaton, a top corporate donor, hosts an annual golf tournament and sends many employees to the organization’s Day of Caring. In 2014, Asheville Brewing created 17 kegs of “United Way Pale Ale,” donating $2,000 from its sale. In 2013 and 2014, Paramount Kia of Asheville donated a brand new Kia Soul to help raise money for UW’s community investment fund. And in October 2014, as a “bonding” exercise, 90 employees of the National Telephone Cooperative Association gave 400 hours of time to Enka Middle Community School, working on beautification and educational projects.
“That’s a real gift,” Bocklet says. “We are just so proud of all the ways people get involved, no matter at what level – meeting these people is exciting and energizing for us.”

Many welcome distractions are available to Asheville residents who enjoy recreation, including activities such as mountain biking, ziplining, golf and hiking. The natural beauty and Asheville's moderate climate draw many locals to the great outdoors.
Get Some Exercise
Challenging terrain and eye-pleasing scenery make Asheville a favorite among mountain bikers, especially with riding groups like Blue Ridge Bicycle Club. For hikers, take strolls along several Buncombe Greenway trails and the French Broad River Trail, while families can also enjoy Asheville's parks such as Aston, Carrier, Pack Square, as well as convenient Azalea and French Broad River dog parks.
Harvest House Recreation Center and the Montford Complex provide even more ways to get active, and take time to stop and smell the roses at North Carolina Arboretum with its 434 acres of gardens. The Arboretum contains one of the world's most renowed colletions of bonsai. It's also home to highly popular hiking and mountain biking trails, all of which are dog-friendly.
Plenty of Zip
Experience a bird's-eye view of the North Carolina mountains and see Asheville from the treetops while riding ziplines at places like Adventure America Zipline Canopy Tours, Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, The Gorge and Navitat Canopy Adventures. Navitat Canopy has added packages called Moody Cove Adventure and Blue Ridge Experience along with a nighttime zipline tour, while Asheville Treetops Adventure Park now includes a KidZip line for children under the age of 10.
Throughout the County
Buncombe County Parks & Recreation oversees a number of recreational venues such as greenways, soccer fields, and indoor and outdoor pools. Organized activities include adult kickball and dodgeball leagues, teen 5K runs, kids' fishing tournaments, coed outdoor volleyball leagues, and an annual Special Olympics Buncombe County Spring Games.
Hit 'Em Far and Straight
Go clubbing at one of Asheville's many golf courses, including Asheville Municipal Golf Course, Biltmore Forest Country Club, and Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort. In addition, The Omni Grove Park Inn has hosted PGA Tour events, while other top area venues are Country Club of Asheville along with The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
Festival of Fitness
After experiencing all the sports and recreation that Asheville offers, join other health and adventure enthusiasts at Mountain Sports Festival every summer. This three-day celebration of all things active in Asheville features fun for the whole family, including demonstrations, trail runs and tournaments. Asheville is also a favorite host city for sports tourneys, including the 2015 Southern Conference men's and women's basketball championships.
Discover more fun activities in Asheville, NC.

Long celebrated as an outdoor utopia and craft beer hub, Asheville has earned another distinction in recent years – culinary destination. A healthy and active population deserves to indulge extravagantly, right? Dozens of Asheville’s favorite eateries offer up thoughtfully curated menus, all teeming with locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients and some of the country’s finest kitchen talent.
Farm Burger
Beef lovers and sustainability lovers unite! Farm Burger embraces both with equal passion. These burgers come from grassfed, antibiotic- and hormone-free cows, all raised in the southeast. Don’t love beef? Farm Burger’s vegan burger is a favorite among Asheville’s plant-eaters.
Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack
In a proud nod to “Tennessee-style hot chicken,” Rocky’s fiery bird has gained quite the North Carolina following. Don’t worry – with a wide spectrum of heat options, there’s something here for the shyest palates. Be sure to comfort those taste buds with a side of corn pudding or fried okra.
Strada
With a menu that represents all regions of Italy, imaginative pasta treatments, dreamy lighting and an expert chef in the kitchen, Strada is elegant and memorable, but casual enough for comfort. A menu highlight? The Pork Chop Milanese, with sorghum-balsamic reduction.
Avenue M
The wonderful thing about many Asheville eateries is that they don’t divide carnivores and herbivores. Avenue M is a wonderful example of that. The Moroccan Vegetable Tagine and the Grilled Garlic Rubbed Ribeye are equally remarkable. With a dog-friendly patio and a festive drink menu, this is the best place for your next friendly gathering.
Well Bred Bakery
Thanks to locations in Weaverville and Biltmore Village, there is more of Well Bred Bakery to go around. The housemade soups, quiches, salads and sandwiches should make it a little easier to justify indulging in one of Well Bred’s signature sweets – the ginger Florentines and pistachio cherry bars are two great places to start.
Desserts
Thanks to effusive praise on customer review websites, a published cookbook, and a menu packed with flavors such as maple bacon apple, salted caramel and sweet potato spice, Short Street Cakes is a must-visit. Popular? Yes. Deservedly so? Absolutely!
Smooth and creamy, cold and sweet, Whit’s frozen custard is blended daily with nary an ice crystal in sight. Try a Blue Ridge Madness Sundae (Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, chocolate syrup and peanut butter drizzle), and you’ll be back to try the other eight dozen options.

Asheville has had a reputation for being a little quirky for years. Rolling Stone Magazine once called it, “The new freak capital of the U.S.” based on its residents’ reputation for celebrating individuality. That was just six years after the first post-Prohibition brewery opened its doors in 1994. A slew of world-class beer producers soon joined that first brewery, Highland Brewing Company, helping the area develop a reputation for the frothiest of industries, and further cementing Asheville’s reputation for doing things their own way. Today, beer is big business, creating a major splash to the local economy.
Quick growth gets noticed
“I think when this craft beer industry first got started in Asheville, back in the early to mid-90s, it was just a blip in the economic development sector and wasn’t taken too seriously,” says Anne Fitten Glenn. A 15-year Asheville resident, Glenn is the “Beer Communicatrix” for Oskar Blues Brewery (which added a location in the area in 2013) and author of Asheville Beer: An Intoxicating History of Mountain Brewing. “But as the industry has grown,” she says, “The folks who run things around here definitely have taken notice. Sales, taxes and jobs tend to do that.”
Soon even beer enthusiasts outside of North Carolina were noticing. In 2009, the relatively small community was voted “Beer City USA” in an online poll. They went on to win the next four years in a row. Glenn says the area’s love affair with beer is partly about quantity. “On any day in western North Carolina, you can try literally hundreds of different styles of locally crafted brews from more than 20 different breweries. Although I’m not recommending you do that.”
The future looks frothy
The growth of the craft beer industry shows no sign of slowing, either. In 2013, New Belgium Brewery began construction on a new facility in Asheville. New Belgium and their flagship beer Fat Tire were the third-largest craft brewery in the country as of 2013, and the eighth-largest beer producer overall. They aren’t alone in their investment in the area, either.
Wicked Weed Brewing recently opened a second location, The Funkatorium, and is planning a $5 million expansion. Hi-Wire Brewing also plans to open a new brewing facility. Green Man Brewery is planning a $4 million expansion that will include a 17,000-square-foot packaging plant with a rooftop beer garden, and Asheville Brewing is in the process of adding more tanks to meet the high demand for its beer.
The rate of growth has been so tremendous that Asheville is widely listed as having the highest number of breweries per capita in the nation. With no fewer than 17 breweries, and the latest U.S. Census Bureau listing the population of the town at 87,236, that’s an astonishing one brewery for every 5,100 people.
A history of beer
According to Glenn, Asheville’s love affair with the frothy arts is a long and fruitful one. She says, “The area of Asheville down around Barley’s Taproom and The Orange Peel was saloon central at the turn of the 20th century. There were at least 18 bars and saloons serving alcohol to thirsty citizens in what came to be known as Hell’s Half-Acre for its rowdy licentiousness.”
Since the days of dusty cowboys and tobacco farmers, Asheville has been serving its residents cold ones. And with the continued investment by some of the industry’s leading names, whether it’s official or not, the city’s place as Beer City USA is set.

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